ALAMEDA — Having already made the argument that the Raiders’ 34-3 loss to the 49ers Thursday night was the worst in franchise history, here are some other notable defeats worth considering.
A few criteria worth noting. The worse the Raiders team, the more weight it carried. That’s why you won’t see any losses from the first Oakland era nor in Los Angeles. The caliber of opposition was considered, as well as if the defeat exemplified the struggles that came during the season. Only games which occurred after Al Davis joined the organization in 1963 were considered.
Here goes:
Nov. 30, 2014: St. Louis 52, Raiders 0: The Raiders fell to 1-11, turned it over five times and trailed 38-0 at halftime. The loss ultimately led Mark Davis to the conclusion to let go interim coach Tony Sparano at the end of the season in favor of Jack Del Rio. The Rams weren’t anything special, either, finishing 6-10. The quarterback was Shaun Hill (13 of 22, 182 yards, 2 TDs) and Tre Mason gained 117 yards on 14 carries. In terms of point spread, the worst defeat since a 55-0 loss in 1961 to the Houston Oilers before Al Davis became coach and general manager. Why the 49ers loss was worse: It occurred with Jon Gruden as head coach in his first year back, as opposed to a Sparano-coached team that had already dumped Dennis Allen.
Dec. 23, 2007: Jacksonville 49, Raiders 11: The Raiders trailed 49-3 before scoring late in the game. There were four unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, including the ejection of Warren Sapp, who was returning to his home state. Fred Taylor scored on a 52-yard run on the first possession and the Jaguars were off to the races. The Raiders turned the game over late to rookie JaMarcus Russell, who was 8-for-23 and threw a pair of interceptions. Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha termed it “mortifying” and the worst loss he’d ever experienced. Why the 49ers loss was worse: Jacksonville, under Jack Del Rio, clinched a playoff berth with the win and improved to 11-4.
Sept. 11, 2006: Chargers 27, Raiders 0: In the regular-season opener on Monday Night Football, the Raiders were embarrassed to a degree that was not reflected in the final score. A San Diego defense led by Shawn Merriman sacked Aaron Brooks and Andrew Walter nine times and the Raiders had 129 yards of total offense in Art Shell’s first game after coming back as head coach. Philip Rivers only needed to throw 11 passes in his starting debut. Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer, who despised the Raiders, was filmed exhorting his defense to “Don’t let ’em (bleeping) score!” when the Raiders threatened late in the game. They didn’t. Why 49ers loss was worse: Although it gave an accurate glimpse into the frailty of a team that would finish 2-14, the Chargers had LaDainian Tomlinson were formidable. They went 14-2.
Oct. 25, 2009: Jets 38, Raiders 0: The Jets put two runners over 100 yards, JaMarcus Russell was strip-sacked at his own 4-yard line on the first play from scrimmage and was benched in the third quarter in favor of Bruce Gradkowski. It was the beginning of the end for Russell, who would start just two more games. Richard Seymour said afterward the Raiders couldn’t have beaten an Oakland high school team. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez munched on a hot dog on the sideline with the game in hand. In terms of point spread, the worst home loss for the Raiders at the Coliseum. Why 49ers loss was worse: The Jets finished 9-7 and were a formidable defensive team, giving up a league-low 236 points on the season.
Sept. 24, 2017: Washington 27, Raiders 10: Consider the context. The Raiders were coming off a 12-4 season in 2016, started the season 2-0 with wins over Tennessee and the New York Jets and were being talked of as a potential Super Bowl team in a prime time Sunday night matchup. Washington, however, abused the Raiders physically and held what was considered a high-powered offense to 128 yards of total offense. Derek Carr was sacked four times. Meanwhile, Washington’s Kirk Cousins passed for 365 yards and running back Chris Thompson had 188 yards of all-purpose yards against familiar defensive deficiencies. The loss charted the course for a Raiders season that finished 6-10 and led to the dismissal of Jack Del Rio and the hiring of Jon Gruden. Why the 49ers loss was worse: Cousins was a legitimate quarterback who commanded an $84 million guarantee in free agency and it was an East Coast swing as opposed to across the bay.